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Bipartisan outrage on Sandy bill

Peter King unloads on John Boehner, praises Cantor

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) took diametrically different positions on two key issues of the day: Hurricane Sandy relief and the bill to avert the fiscal cliff.

Both sides try to downplay the divide by saying individual members of Congress are able to go their own ways without raising the specter of an imminent leadership challenge. In fact, despite the wishes of minor outside conservative groups and blogs trying to drum up a challenge to Boehner, Cantor has told people that he would do whatever it takes to help the Ohio Republican keep the gavel, if it’s necessary.

“They had a difference of opinion — as we all do — but they are on the same team and working toward the same goals,” Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) said. “And the kicker is that they were both unanimously elected by our conference with each nominating the other. The palace intrigue stories are way overblown.”

The sliver of space between the House’s top two lawmakers — Boehner and Cantor — is striking. But the back story is far less interesting.

Both men were reflecting a private political calculus, not attempting to cross one another.

The result was not as clean.

After Boehner decided to pull the Sandy bill, a Cantor aide had a heated exchange with the speaker’s staff, during which he said the majority leader’s office wouldn’t be giving them “cover” on the decision, several sources said.

But Boehner and Cantor were calculating the situation differently — and that’s what caused the clash in strategy.

For Boehner, it was simple: He didn’t want to put his members through another tough vote. He understood how brutal the past few weeks have been on the House Republican Conference. From his perspective, he was saving his membership from having to vote for a $60 billion spending bill just minutes — or even days — after casting a vote for a contentious tax bill.

Readers' Comments (23)

The parting of the ways lies in the fact that Speaker Boehner just squashed the Tea Party like a bug. Speakers have the power to do that.

He has demonstrated that any time he wants he can and will violate the “majority of the majority” rule, as he did last night, and by doing so effectively reduce the Tea Party faction of the Republican party into nothing more than a group of yapping poodles.

The Speaker has the power, and Rep. Cantor can see that now, I’m sure.

So does the Tea Party – and in future negotiations Speaker Boehner has made it clear to them that they would be wise to do as he says.

There are sufficient numbers of moderate, reasonable, reality based Republicans still in the House, and they can join with Democrats to pass reasonable legislation.

That’s a good thing.

It’s likewise a good, brave, and honorable – and politically astute – thing Speaker Boehner did by breaking the “Hastert Rule”, and I’m very proud of him for doing it.

He has shown the difference between good governance, reasonable compromise, and making a deal at the end of the day - and rapacious destruction.

According to the author:'For Boehner, it was simple: He didn’t want to put his members through another tough vote. He understood how brutal the past few weeks have been on the House Republican Conference."

"For Boehner, it was simple: He didn’t want to put his members through another tough vote. He understood how brutal the past few weeks have been on the House Republican Conference. From his perspective, he was saving his membership from having to vote for a $60 billion spending bill just minutes — or even days — after casting a vote for a contentious tax bill."

Funny I thought 'tough votes'(translation, making tough decisions)for American's future was what they got paid to do!

This story reads like a bad tabloid gossip article. What it basically states is... there's politics being played in Washington.

Meanwhile the country has no leadership, and tax rates are increased. Mind you, there will be no revenue raised, in fact revenue will likely go down, and spending will be increased. At least that is the record of 70 years of empirical data, according to a study by Obama's first economic adviser. So, why did we raise tax rates? Hmmm...

Boehner delayed the Sandy funding vote until the next congress because he wants to hang on to power, and he knows if he sticks it to poor, suffering, devastated people then the conservative right wingers in the Republican party who hate the “takers”, the “moochers”, and the “looters”, will be happy, and they’ll vote for him for Speaker in Congress 113.

He knows how to make right wingers happy. Kick the little guy.

Yes, Speaker Boehner has demonstrated that he not only knows how to squash the right wing Tea Party radicals….

' After much thought and consideration, I am bringing into the public eye the terrible indiscretion I made with a valuable alley and associate, Eric Cantor.

This is due in part to a terrible error in judgment we both made involving an innocent black man named Jacob Tate who was considered involved in an illegal business activity first reported by Senator John Testor from Montana. The unfortunate events then led to a 'botched investigation which came to inaccurate conclusions which led to his Last Mission on January 2nd, 2011 in the Sangin Region of Afghanistan. Where he was taken out and effectivley 'Murdered in Action' by being Questioned at Length about a Business his Father in Law had in the state of Montana. After being questioned for hours he decided to turn and Walk back to the FOB (Forward Operations Base).

There upon he was reported as an 'Enemy Combatant' on his walk back to the FOB and shot in the Back at distance by a U.S. Sniper. When he was later found by Special Forces, again he was questioned while wounded and alive. During which he uttered the following words to the U.S. Personnel on Site:

I've been wounded, call a Helicopter Why are you killing me, I am a Marine just like you ?

Later, they (the US Personnel) set Jacob Tate on an I.E.D. While he was still alive although they had though he had expired. Moments later, he woke up for a brief second. Seeing his situation he cried out these words;

Keith, I don't know who these people are but their coming after you next. I'll be watching your back from Heaven, I'll also be watching my Wife's back and my Son's back too. Tell my Wife I love her, Tell my Son I love him too and I love you like a Father. God Save my Soul ….........

Immediately upon return to the United States his body was take from Dover Air Force Base to Toledo Ohio where Jacob was from and the subsequent funeral was to be held.

The KIA officer who was on site, directly said to Jacob's father in law that he had removed Jacob's Right Arm and Right Chest Pectoral Muscle from his body before dressing him in the Marine Uniform for Viewing. Later he would deny saying that to his Father in Law.

After the investigation began, Jacob Tate's Commander JAG Lawyer Placed a Restraining GAG order on Keith Grant the Father In Law so no one can talk to him or contact him during the trial. That was 408 days ago.

In the process, we later found out that Jacob Tate's father in Law was actually working 'with and for the F.B.I and the C.I.A. As a consultant for the Process Controls Industry sales into the Middle East. Essentially, he was providing information to the F.B.I. As a Patriot to show how easy it was to get products into the Middle East from 'anywhere' in the World. Part of the reason was to establish 'transparency' for the transactions so that Grant Marketing Group and his Clients, Spriano and Elis would be protected during the transactions.

Later what happened is John Tester got involved via the F.B.I. After he found out the F.B.I. Had authorized sales into Iran via Grant Marketing Group. SO Senator Tester decided to do his 'own investigation' upon which Jacob 'was' taken out on his last night in Country and essentially …................ Murdered.

SO the best thing we can do now is extend the extend the entire Trial due to Mr. Grant's 'claim' that the funding for the C.I.A. Covert Operations was coming from the Justice Department. Which is the same source as the Fast and Furious Program and that too is being delayed ….................... by the Justice Department.

Oh, one more thing. Eric Cantor and I have quit our personnel relationship and will maintain a professional working relationship.

The Republican Party and the Conservative Movement is severely split. This is the result of worshiping an ideology. There is nothing wrong with a free market system. As a general rule, the private sector is generally more efficient than the public sector.

This should be the only requirement to be a Republican.

The Republican Party cannot continue to preach lower taxes and claim to be fiscally responsible. The GOP caucus needs to learn to allow its members flexibility to deal with issues. Instead of blindly maintaining positions that are irresponsible to rational government.

Cantor took the easy way out claiming to be the fiscal conservaturd while he knew Boehner had no choice but to do what he promised, ie, bring it to a floor vote based on a bipartisan senate vote. Both guys did the obvious and this is not even a story. Move on folks, nothing to see here.

Cantors' no fiscal conservative if he was willing to support a bill that had $30 billion in pork unrelated to Sandy. The "fiscal cliff" fiasco was bad enough with all its pork (including over $1 billion in tax breaks to Goldman Saks!). Go public Mr. Boehner and tell the people about the theft and deception in these bills. Expose the waste! And you'll get support! And BTW, tell Cantor, King and Christy the same thing you told the Majority Leader. If they want to pimp for the special interests expose them.

"He didn’t want to put his members through another tough vote" ??!! A tough vote?! A TOUGH F$!@ING VOTE TO APPROVE DISASTER RELIEF????!!!!!

Am I the only one who see's this? Am I dreaming? How does any republican from the 112th congress still have a job? There are actually constituencies that think approving disaster aid for Sandy is a bad idea? What the f$!k are these people on?

Someone try to explain to me how approving disaster relief to our own is a tough vote.

The democrats should run Bill Clinton for Speaker. The speaker, as it turns out, does not need to be a member of Congress.

If the republican members of the New York and New Jersey delegation sit out the Speaker vote, the democrats would only need to flip 11 republicans to hand the speakership over to someone with a history of bipartisan cooperation. It would be great to have a speaker that can talk to the reasonable factions of both sides and craft centrist policy to move the country forward.

Time to think differently about how to break the gridlock. The current system isn't working.